FIRST SERIES No. 36 NOVEMBER, 1920 


UNIVERSITY OF IOWA 
STUDIES | 


STUDIES IN CHILD WELFARE 


VOLUME I NUMBER 2 


A SURVEY OF MUSICAL TALENT 
IN THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS 


by 


CARL HE. SEASHORE 


PUBLISHED BY THE UNIVERSITY, IOWA CITY 


Issued semi-monthly throughout the year. Entered at the postoffice at Iowa City as 
second class mail matter. Acceptance far mailing at special rate of postage pro- 
vided for in Section 1103, Act of October 8, 1917, authorized July 3, 1918. 


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UNIVERSITY OF IOWA STUDIES 
IN CHILD WELFARE 





Proressor Birp IT’. Baupwin, Px. D., Edit 


FROM THE IOWA CHILD WELFARE RESEARCH STATION 





VOLUME I NUMBER 2 





A SURVEY OF MUSICAL TALENT 
IN THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS 


REPRESENTING THE EXAMINATION OF CHILDREN OF 
THE FIFTH AND THE EIGHTH GRADES IN THE 
PUBLIC SCHOOLS OF DES MOINES, IOWA 
WITH THE AUTHOR’S 
MEASURES OF MUSICAL TALENT 


by 
CARL E. SEASHORE 


PUBLISHED BY THE UNIVERSITY, IOWA CITY 
(2d edition, February, 1924) 


or) 


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oe 


STUDIES IN CHILD WELFARE 
VOLUME I 
The Physical Growth of Children from Birth to 
Maturity, by Birp T. BALDWIN 


A Survey of Musical Talent in the Public Schools, 
by Cart E. SEASHORE 


A Study in Corrective Speech, by Sara M, STINCHFIELD 


An Analytic Study of a Class of Five and Sia 
Year Old Children, by CLARA H. Town 


Investigations in the Artificial Feeding of Children, 
(Reprints) by AMy DANIELS, ALBERT BYFIELD, and 
ROSEMARY LOUGHLIN 


Child Legislation in Iowa, by FRANK HorAck 


Selectwe Migration as a Factor in Child Welfare in the 
United States, with Special Reference to Iowa, 
by HorNELL N, Hart 


VOLUME II 


The Mental Growth Curve of Normal and Superior Children, 
Studied by Means of Consecutive Intelligence Examinations, 


by Birp T. BALDWIN and LORLE I. STECHER 
Differential Fecundity in Iowa, by HORNELL N. Hart 


Iowa Child Weifare Legislation Measured by Federal 
Children’s Bureau Standards, by A. IONE BLISS 


A Test of Social Attitudes and Interests, by HORNELL N. Hart 


UNIVERSITY EXTENSION BULLETINS 


BY MEMBERS OF RESEARCH STATION STAFF 


Diet for the School Child, by AMy LOUISE DANIELS 


The Physical Growth of the School Child, by Birp T. BALDWIN 


Feeding the Baby, by AMy LOUISE DANIELS and 


Pages 


411 


36 
36 


87 


24 
36 


150 


61 
40 


52 
40 


ALBERT HENRY BYFIELD 


The School Lunch, by Amy LOUISE DANIELS 
Child Feeding Schedule, by the Staff 


TABLE OF CONTENTS 


EDITOR’S FOREWORD 


INTRODUCTION - 
Historical - 
Immediate Purpose 
Plan - - 
Two Grades-~ - 
Stages of the Survey 
Reports Filed 
References - 


SAMPLE OF REPORTS WITH EXPLANATIONS 


Table I A - - 
TableI B - - 
Percentile Rank - 


The Five ‘‘ Measures’? 


The Sense of Pitch 


The Sense of Intensity 


The Sense of Time 


The Sense of Consonance 


Tonal Memory 


Teachers’ Ratings 
Brightness” - 
Singing 
Rhythmic Action 
Enjoyment - 
Training 


GROUPING - 
Classes Recognized 
Basis of Grouping 


Incomplete Records Eliminated 


Objective Basis 
Danger of Averaging 


Exactness a Restriction 


Method of Grouping 
A Grouping ‘‘Scale’’ 


Table II—Very Superior 


Table III—Superior 


Table ITV—Excellent 


- 


eomoeomaoaonnrntnn or 


TABLE OF CONTENTS (Continued) 


Table V—Good - - 
Table VI-—Fair . - 
Table VII—Poor - : 
The Weighting - - 
The Secondary Criteria . 


Danger of Quantitative General Ratings 


Same for All Grades - - 
Uses of this Grouping - 


Keys, DISTRIBUTIONS, AND NORMS 
Reference to the Manual - 
Key to the Records” - - 
Table of Per cent Rank - 
Norms of Per cent Rank, Fig. 1 
Distribution of Cases, Fig. 2 


WHAT TO LOOK FOR IN THE MUSICAL TALENT 


Discovery of Talent - - 
Explanation of Talent * 
Certifying Absence of Talent 


The Magnitude of Individual Differences 


Verification of Findings 
Hill and Valley - - 
Bright and Dull - - 
Trained and Untrained - 


Those Who Sing and Those Who Don’t 


Likes and Dislikes’ - - 
Young and Old - 
Inheritance - 
Awakening of Musie Teachers 


SOME SUGGESTIONS ABOUT PROCEDURE 
Number of Trials - - 
When and Where - - 

By Whom - - - 
The Report, Fig. 3 - - 
Labor-Saving - - - 
The Talent Chart - - 
Follow-up Work - - 
Community and Home Tests 

Training Value - - 


Ultimately the Attitude of a Physician 


33, 


22 
23 
24 
19 
19 
20 
21 
21 


25 
25 
25 
27 
26 
27 


28 
28 
28 
29 
29 
30 
30 
31 
31 
31 
31 
32 
32 
32 


32 
32 
33 
33 
34 
33 
35 
35 
36 
36 
36 


EDITOR’S FOREWORD 


The psychology of individual differences has made signifi- 
eant progress during the past ten years. In A Survey of 
Musical Talent in the Public Schools, Professor Seashore 
makes a marked! advance in the applications of psychology 
by formulating scientific means for analyzing and evaluat- 
ing special abilities in musical talent: by establishing norms 
for fifth and eighth grade children; by standardizing 
methods, apparatus, and technique for group procedure in 
schools; by presenting fundamental principles for discover- 
ing musical talent and conserving musical capacity; and by 
developing a science of vocational guidance within this field. 

This survey was made under the auspices of the Iowa 
Child Welfare Research Station, which is organizing a com- 
prehensive program for the investigation of individual 
traits and abilities of normal children with particular refer- 
ence to the earlier ages. The editor is glad to present this 
monograph by a recognized authority as a model of one type 
of applied scientific procedure in which the Station is en- 
gaged. The requests for this study which already have 
been received from this country and abroad assure it a wide 
field of usefulness. 


BIRD T. BALDWIN 
August 30, 1920 


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A SURVEY OF MUSICAL TALENT 
IN THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS 


INTRODUCTION 


The first survey employing the group of tests now called 
“Measures of Musical Talent’ was made in Charles City, 
Iowa, in 1917 where we surveyed the grammar grades in the 
public schools. Immediately thereafter a similar survey was 
made upon the grammar grades of all of the children in Sioux 
City and Red Oak, Iowa, and upon the grammar grades in 
the Wyman School, which is the training school for the 
Teachers College in St. Louis. 

In these first surveys the tests were made with the original 
laboratory instruments; namely, tuning forks, an audiometer, 
a time-sense apparatus, and musical instruments. While these 
experiments were of great value in helping us to adjust pro- 
cedure to actual situations in the school, and are of some 
historical significance, they have not been published, because 
we later adopted the plan of putting the test material on 
phonograph records. Since the original instruments have 
been described elsewhere and are now abandoned for school 
use, and the phonograph records are to constitute the standard 
test material, we have chosen these experiments in Des Moines 
for the first general report of the school surveys. 

Immediate purpose. The purpose of the present survey 
was to have the laboratory: staff try out the new standardized 





1 This survey was undertaken on invitation of the Des Moines Board of 
Education, with the personal codperation of Prof. Alfred H. Smith, Super- 
visor of Music. The Work of testing was divided between Mr. Henry M. 
Halverson and Miss Hazel M. Stanton, representing the Department of 
Psychology in the University of Iowa. Dr. Mabel Clare Williams and Dr. 
Esther Allen Gaw assisted in the study of the data. To all these the writer 
and the director of the Iowa Child Welfare Research Station herewith express 
thanks for hearty and very effective codperation. 


8 IOWA STUDIES IN CHILD WELFARE 


test material, “Measures of Musical Talent,”? under actual 
school conditions. In doing this we had several objects in 
view: to secure the data for the establishment of norms; to 
try out various alternative details of procedure; to study the 
reactions of pupils and teachers; to collect material as pre- 
liminary to a further study of exceptional talent; to evaluate 
the fitness of this test material; and, in so far as that is pos- 
sible, to set a model for procedure with these measures, both 
in testing and in interpreting. 

These are the purposes from the point of view of the labor- 
atory staff. From the point of view of the city schools, the 
object was, of course, to obtain ratings of the musical talent 
of each child and communicate these appropriately to the 
authorities, and through them to the pupils. 

Plan. Normally these tests would be made in the regular 
course of instruction, but, since the work was to be done by 
the laboratory staff, it could not be scattered throughout the 
year, but had to be given at one time:in the form of a survey. 
This plan necessitated a certain amount of interruption of the 
school program which is not necessary in the regular use of 
the measures. 

Two Grades. We limited ourselves to two grades, the fifth 
and the eighth; the fifth, because that is the earliest stage at 
which children can take a responsible part in a group tests of 
the kind, and it is early enough for the stimulating of musical 
education; the eighth grade, because that is the sorting period 
in which it is most important to give guidance about special 
work in music in the high school, or about specialized musical 
interests for those who are entering the vocations. 

Stages of the Survey. A complete survey of this kind in- 
volves three stages: first, the making of the five basic tests; 





1Columbia Reeords: 


A7536 Measures of Musical Talent. Sense of Pitch, No. 1A. 

12 in. Measures of Musical Talent. Sense of Pitch, No. 1B. 
A7537 Measures of Musical Talent. Sense of Intensity, No, 2A. 
12 in. Measures of Musical Talent. Sense of Intensity, No. 2B. 
A7538 Measures of Musical Talent. Sense of Time, No. 3A. 

12 in. Measures of Musical Talent. Sense of Time, No. 3B. 
A7539 Measures of Musical Talent. Sense of Consonance, No. 4A. 
12 in. Measures of Musical Talent. Sense of Consonance, No. 4B. 
A7540 Measures of Musical Talent. Tonal Memory, No. 5A. 

12 in. Measures of Musical Talent. Tonal Memory, No. 5B. 


A SURVEY OF MUSICAL TALENT 2 


second, the further intensive testing of cases selected on the 
basis of record in the basic tests, and of others presented by 
teachers or parents for examination for some sufficient reason ; 
and third, the follow-up work, representing conferences with 
pupil and parent, and a record of the resulting progress. The 
present report pertains only to the first of these three stages, 
the use of these basic measures, for the reason that this survey 
was made in the spring of 1919, just before the schools closed, 
and the after-war conditions have prevented us from going 
into the field and following up the same children through the 
second and’ third stages. It is hoped that our staff may have 
an opportunity in the near future to treat these last two field 
problems adequately. 

Reports Filed. Copies of the reports of all children exam- 
ined are on file in the office of the city supervisor of music and 
in the hands of the principal of each school. In the present 
report we shall only give samples of records, since the main 
object of this report is to serve as a guide for future work of 
this kind, rather than as a report of results to the local con- 
stituency.* 

The data from this Des Moines survey were used as the 
concrete material from which to compute distribution of ca- 
pacities, percentile rank tables, and norms in the form of 
ogives in the above named manual and text-book. It will 
therefore not be necessary to repeat that material here, par- 
ticularly as anyone who wishes to get an adequate acquain- 
tance with the nature of the tests and their interpretation 
must consult these two sources, together with his report, as 
the three dovetail into a single presentation of the same sub- 
ject from different angles without duplicating; that is, the 
text-book presents the psychological analysis of musical tal- 
ents with interpretations of measurements and evaluations; 
the manual contains merely the specific directions for the use 
 * References. For the purpose of this report, it is necessary to assume 
that the reader has access to the Manual of Instructions, which is furnished 
free with the Measures of Musical Talent or may be obtained upon request 
from the Columbia Graphophone Company, New York; and to the author’s 
‘“Psychology of Musical Talent’’ (Silver, Burdett & Co. 1919), in which the 


whole theory of the measurement of musical talent is explained and on which 
the tests are based. 


10 IOWA STUDIES IN CHILD WELFARE 


of the phonograph records; and this report presents some data 
on the use of these tests in the school. 

With such “division of labor” there falls to this report 
essentially the following: sample of record with explanation 
of items; a grouping scale with suggestions for its use; com- 
parison of boys and girls; comparison of different schools; 
survey of several recommendations bearing on procedure. 


SAMPLE OF REPORTS WITH EXPLANATIONS 


Table I A and B is a sample of the final report as left on 
file. It represents the eighth grade pupils in the Elmwood 
School, and may be regarded as a fair sample of a natural set 
of records for a grade. 

In this table the pupils are represented by numbers, the 
girls, I A, by odd and the boys, I B, by even numbers. Since 
material of a personal nature should not be made public, the 
names of the children, which in the original report occupy a 
space after the age, are omitted from this printed report. The 
age given is that of their nearest birthday. 

The Percentile Rank. Then follow the records for the five 
measures, each expressed in terms of percentile rank, a com- 
mon unit, namely, the rank in a normal community of the 
kind represented; in this case, eighth grade children. The 
scale is 1-100, in which 100 represents the best found, 1 the 
poorest found, and 50 the average. The norms for these are 
based upon the total number of records obtained in this sur- 
vey. This rank is a very convenient means of conveying mean- 
ing of widely diverging types of measurements without any 
more technical concept than that of percent. 


© ere Number 


A SURVEY OF MUSICAL TALENT 11 


TABLE I A. Elmwood School, Girls, 8th Grade 


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TABLE I B. Elmwood School, Boys, 8th Grade 


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12 IOWA STUDIES IN CHILD WELFARE 


The Five “Measures.” The sense of pitch measures the 
least perceptible difference in pitch. This'is an index to the 
capacity for hearing musical values dependent upon pitch, 
and, therefore, indirectly for musical expression in pitch. The 
instructions were: ‘You will hear two tones which differ in 
pitch. You are to judge whether the second is higher or lower 
than the first. If the second is higher, record H; if lower, 
record L.”’ | 

The sense of intensity measures the least perceptible differ- 
ence in the intensity of the tone. This is an index to the nat- 
ural capacity for hearing musical expression in terms of loud- 
ness of the tone. The instructions were: ‘You will hear two 
tones which differ in loudness, or strength. You are to judge 
whether the second is stronger or weaker than the first. If 
the second is stronger, record S; if the second is weaker, 
record W.” 

The sense of time is measured in terms of the least per- 
ceptible difference in two short time intervals. This is an 
index to the basic capacity for appreciating time, tempo, and 
rhythm in music. The instructions to the pupil were: ‘You 
will hear three clicks marking off two intervals of time. If 
the second interval (that is, the time between the second and 
third clicks) is longer than the first interval, record L; if it 
is shorter, record 8S.” 

The sense of consonance is measured in terms of the ability 
to judge the relative degree of consonance or dissonance in a 
graded series of consonance-dissonances. It is an index to the 
basic capacity for the appreciation of harmony and melody. 
The instructions were: ‘You will hear two combinations of 
two tones each; one combination is better or worse than the 
other in consonance (harmony). A good combination is one 
in which two tones are smooth, and blend, tending to fuse 
together into one. A bad combination is just the opposite. 
If the second combination is better, record B; if worse, W.” 

Tonal memory was measured in terms of memory span for 
a sequence of unrelated tones. It is an index to the natural 
capacity for remembering, imaging, and imagining tones soon 
after hearing. The instructions were: ‘In each trial you will 
hear a series of tones played twice. In the second playing, 


A SURVEY OF MUSICAL TALENT 13 


one note is changed. In listening count mentally; for ex- 
ample, 1, 2, in the first playing, and then likewise in the sec- 
ond playing, so that you may identify the one that was 
changed without error.” 

Teachers’ Ratings. Then following the three marks, sing- 
ing, brightness, and rhythm. These represent the judgment 
of the teacher rendered under the following instructions: 

“Let the principal and the teachers, who know the children 
best,.in the ward building, meet and classify the children as 
follows in each of the three items, brightness, singing, and 
rhythmic action: 

Select the best 10% of the children listed and mark them A. 

Select the poorest 10% and mark them E. Then, 

Select the next best 20% and mark them B. 

And the next poorest and mark them D. 

This will leave 40% who get mark C, or an average. 

Record the appropriate letter, A, B, C, D, or E, after each 
child’s name in the respective columns. 

Brightness: By brightness is meant the estimate of the 
natural ability to do the work that the school requires under 
favorable conditions. This does not mean school grades, be- 
cause these are often low on account of lack of effort. 

Singing: By singing we mean the ability to sing as shown 
in the public school music, taking everything that you can into 
account. Special features, such as the quality of the voice, 
skill in sight reading, and musical activities, may be mentioned 
under “remarks” if conspicuous. 

Rhythinic Action: For rhythmic action base the general 
classification on your general observation of the child’s ability 
to march, to skip, to dance, to take part in games requiring 
motor coordination, work in gymnastics, etc.” 

Enjoyment: In order to secure a record of children’s judg- 
ments about their own enjoyment of music, the children were 
directed as follows: 

“Put an X in front of the sentence which is true for you: 

I do not enjoy music. 

I like music fairly well. 

I am very happy with my music. 

Music is one of my greatest pleasures.” 


14 IOWA STUDIES IN CHILD WELFARE 


These responses were entered in the report as D, C, B, or 
A, the notation assigned to the respective propositions in the 
order given. Thus A represents the highest and D the low- 
est rating. 

A study of these self-ratings shows that they do not cor- 
relate closely with the capacity measured or with the teach- 
er’s rating on the three items named. We should attach but 
little significance to these opinions in musical guidance. But 
the record may be worth having because it encourages us to 
ask why a child likes or dislikes or asserts that he likes or dis- 
likes music. From this point of view the material is most 
stimulating and might start very profitable inquiries. 

With this a number of other questions were included on 
opportunities for hearing music, character of music preferred, 
opportunities for musical performance, and questions bearing 
on heredity, but it does not seem worth while to burden the 
present report with that mass of material, although it is filed 
with the original report. The study of heredity which we in- 
tended to pursue here has been taken up on a larger scale by 
Miss Stanton in the systematic measurement of talents in 
famous musical families for the purpose of applying Men- 
delian principles to the problem. 

Training: The last column states the number of private 
music lessons that the pupil has had, according to his own re- 
port, after a conference with his parents or teachers. The 
figures are given in terms of whole hour private lessons; hence, 
for lessons of twenty minute periods, three would count as 
one hour, and for half hour periods, two would count as one 
hour. The letters designate the instrument: V, violin; P, 
piano; Cor., cornet; FIl., flute, etc. 


GROUPING 


Classes recognized. For the purpose of ready reference in 
the selection and interpretation of returns, it is convenient to 
adopt a provisional grouping based entirely on the evidences 
in the objective record, leaving out of account personal knowl- 
edge of the child. For this purpose we adopted the following 
classification : 


A SURVEY OF MUSICAL TALENT 15 
98%—100% V.S. Very Superior 


91%— 97% S. Superior 
76%— 90% EK. Excellent 
51%— 75% G. Good 
26%— 50% | he Neh: 
1%— 25% Dee Loor 


Basis of Grouping: The percentage ratings in this table 
denote the final rank assigned by the examiner on the basis of 
the showing in the five objective measures. It is not the 
average of these. It takes no account of case history, personal 
knowledge of the child, record of training, or rating on en- 
joyment. The three teachers’ ratings are regarded as only 
of secondary evidence and count only in case of doubt on the 
basis of the measures. The grouping is an interpretation of 
the net significance of the five measures as interrelated. 

Incomplete records eliminated. Before making this group- 
ing, all cases in which two or more of the five records of tests 
were missing were eliminated and designated as incomplete 
(1). The number thus ‘eliminated amounted to 23% for the 
fifth grade and 5% for the eighth grade. These gaps in the 
records are due to various causes: e. g., absence from the class 
at the time of a test; failure to respond satisfactorily to the 
test as noted by ‘the experimenter; and internal evidence in 
the record of misunderstanding or other error. These records 
are not rejected but are merely set aside to be handled with 
reserve, without prejudice. It should always be made clear 
that the designation “TI” is not itself any index to rank, al- 
though a record so classified may contain very definite infor- 
mation, favorable or ‘unfavorable, as far as it goes. Since 
they are thrown out on the ground of incompleteness, and not 
on the ground of quality, the elimination does not affect the 
above grouping in percentages seriously, although there is 
actually a tendency of poor observers to leave “incomplete” 
records. 

Objective basis. It is important to make this first group- 
ing entirely on the basis of the objective record, quite inde- 
pendently of the personal knowledge of the pupil, or other 
systematic information gathered. This is important from the 
scientific point of view because it presents the objective rec- 


16 IOWA STUDIES IN CHILD WELFARE 


ords as such to speak for themselves. It is often in the resi- 
duals, z.e., the apparent discrepancies between objective 
records and expected results, that we make our most important 
findings. The reason for this becomes clearer when we bear in 
mind that the quantitative measures are specific and unbiased, 
whereas all other information is unanalyzed and usually 
loosely expressed, without either opportunity for exactness or 
realization of actual significance. 

After this concept of the objective record has been formu- 
lated, great stress should be laid upon the accumulation of 
personal history, personal evaluation of the pupil’s musical 
interests and achievements, outlets for musical expression, 
and countless other factors, often exceedingly intricate, which 
enter into the personal rating of talent and prospective 
achievement. The counsellor of the pupil will then have at 
command two profiles, as it were, of the talent, and can bring 
the two together for more effective analysis of the case than 
if personal bias or theory had entered into the objective 
record. 

Danger of averaging. The first temptation is to find the 
average for each case as an objective basis in grouping; but 
that must always be discouraged. The making of this rating 
must be a personal judgment on the part of one who under- 
stands the meaning of each measure, and can balance factors 
so as to arrive at the best estimate of the extent to which the 
child should be encouraged in any music whatever. We should 
discourage every tendency to rank the pupils by averages, al- 
though, in the long run, there will be some agreement between 
the averages and the grouping adopted. The reason for this 
objection to the use of averages lies in the fact that we are 
dealing with different kinds of talents, as opposed to different 
quantities of talent in general. One person may rank 99% 
in pitch and 9% in time; another, 9% in pitch and 99% in 
time. Both are capable of becoming musical; one through 
tonal accomplishment; the other through rhythmical accomp- 
lishment; although each will have specific limitations. Our 
grouping should, therefore, be merely an index figure to be 
used only for the convenience in handling records. When ad- 
vice is given, it should never be given merely in terms of this 


A SURVEY OF MUSICAL TALENT Li 


label, but in terms of details shown in the analzed objective 
record as interpreted in the light of supplementary data. 

Exactness a restriction. This necessity of using personal 
judgment in the grouping instead of resting on mathematical 
averages, makes the grouping difficult. It is well that it should 
be so, because that forces us to face the fact that we have 
here only a few selected measures; that these are very specific 
and do not represent talent as a whole; that they are measures 
of relatively different kinds of talent; that the value of each 
is dependent upon its relation to the other; and that some 
talents are more essential than others. Indeed, to the extent 
that we deal with exact facts, our conclusions must be restrict- 
ed, for the conclusion should never hold more than is involved 
in the premise . We must recognize countless varieties ‘of the 
possible inter-relations of talents and should be corresponding- 
ly cautious against artificial classifications and valuations. 

Method of grouping. In forming the typical groups or 
norms here presented, Tables II to VII, we took all records for 
this survey and proceeded as follows: 

We first marked all cases in which two or more test records 
were missing “I.” By writing this letter in front of these 
records we set them aside as not available for the purpose of 
grouping. We then went through all of the remaining records 
by direct inspection, and assigned a tentative grouping as a 
rough approximation to the required distribution. 

Procedure with the eighth grade may serve as an illustra- 
tion. We found that in this preliminary grouping we had 
marked more than 4% V.S. To correct this we reviewed the 
cases marked V and culled by dropping case after case, in the 
order of doubtfulness, until, by this process of elimination the 
V.S.’s had been reduced to 3% of the total number of avail- 
able records. The tentative V. S.’s thus dropped became cer- 
tain S’s. Computation showed that we still did not have 
enough S’s to make 7%. We, therefore, reviewed the E’s and 
selected from them, in the order of apparent excellence, enough 
to raise the number of 8’s to the required 7%. A similar pro- 
cedure was followed for the E’s. Since the distinction of those 
near the average is close and difficult to make we passed the 
next two groups and attacked the P group. Finding that we 


18 IOWA STUDIES IN CHILD WELFARE 


had marked too many P’s, we proceeded to select enough of 
the best of this group, in the order of excellence, to be raised 
to the B group in order to reduce the P group to the required 
25%. This left 50% of all of the available records to be dis- 
posed of as G’s and F’s. We first reviewed the tentative group- 
ing of these and checked all that were certain to be G’s and 
those that were certain to be F’s. This left a certain number 
of G’s and F’s in the margin ‘of doubt. As they were now 
isolated and reduced to a small number it was a comparatively 
simple matter to cast off from this group, in the direction of 


TABLE II. VERY SUPERIOR (V. C.) 98-100% 


# 

§ a 
: fs ek pate ee ee 
a. fag ace 
ROE UM ek Te etc nleg So: 
BB ed Rod a a a he i ee 
85. AH... 45.93 61: 84:< 90 OGNS AD wii eA ee 
10: A. Hd, 13 7,98. 78, 90 697%. 83 <D AE 2D: iC. No arecora 
wre AS. 13". 99.987 63 OD Bio AS AS Ow Caer 
16 Cas 14) Ber oo tU0 BeOS oA awk C None 
5 Cat 14 ~ 90° 87 75 99 B CC B A No record 
21 Cat 1S 090) 61793076! 283) 2 DVG YT AY WaAvestOsE: 
6 Cat a2 ( 400. ° 832,935.76 $9) (CLC AE G 20-2 
12 Cat 13 OTs OE 0 7G Srey ee CO 80).P- 
32 Cat 15 98 98 93 97 8 CA B D No record 
57 Cro 13:,. 99.67 °84..76739 (A BOTA, Artic 
46 Cro 14 68 97 99 84 98 B CC BB No reeord 
22 Elm 12 - 986 93 98° 99° "Ol. BB °C °C 100: Paene ae 
5 Gre 14:97 78 98 84 8 CC €¢: © B No reeord 
28 Gre 13° 97 106: 98.584 62.) CO UC Ci 26.7% 
32 Gre. 12.93. 95. 90 100 99... A AA: By SO ae See 
11 pan 1 «9 78 60 °76.°90 (BC @), BA UNG record 
8 Han. 15 97 91 90 90 74 E D E CD No record 
15 Hub: 138 95 67 #98 097 99 C A ‘A A’ Storms Foe oe 
11 Kir. 18: 90. °99/ 975° 90 86°) ALA AAS eee 
2 Kir 13 90 93100 76 62 BCC Osha 
22 Kir 14 °90..78°100, 99. 53. ~~ BB iC Asweay- 
30 McH; 18.86 97. .90 97 96 .C0-B BB. Ze: 
51 Phil. 15 98 95 70 8 838 CE D C No record 
2 Byr. 14 82 93 87 90 88 A A A C No record 
13 13. 93 78.87 99 95. 7B" SB 08-232 


A SURVEY OF MUSICAL TALENT 19 


G or F, enough of this group, in the order of certainty, to 
equalize the two classes. 

A Grouping ‘Scale.”’ Tables II to VII constitute “types” of 
records, grouped in the manner just described. They are rep- 
resentative, in that we have taken the first twenty-five cases 
for each group in the order in which the records chance to 
come in our complete table of records for each group. For 
practical purposes in the immediate future this sample may 
serve for the evaluation of single records or groups of records 
not large enough to permit an independent grouping as in the 
present case. We may use this as a sample page of records 
somewhat in the manner that we use the handwriting scales 
at the present time, by assigning a given record to the group 
in which it finds its nearest match. 

The Weighting. On the whole, we place most stress on the 
possession of the sense of pitch. Next to that comes the sense 
of time and the sense of intensity, in the order named. These 
three are basic, ‘each representing a prominent attribute of 
music which may distinguish musical types. Thus we have 
the tone (pitch) musician, the rhythm (time) musician, and 
the expression (intensity) musician, if we may use these 
words in a somewhat forced meaning. The best is, of course, 
the possession of all three powers. Consonance is a complex, 
more or less related to pitch and, while memory is good for a 
musician, tenacious memory is not essential to certain kinds 
of musicianship. 

The Secondary Criteria. The pupil marked A in brightness 
will make an entirely different kind of a musician from one 
marked E. Yet if the E pupil in brightness shows a high 
rank in other musical capacities he may still be regarded as 
decidedly musical, although the low general intelligence will 
make its unmistakable stamp on his musicianship. The same 
thing applies to the interpretation of rhythm and singing. 
The rating on rhythm is, however, of doubtful value except as 
a general index to the motor development of the child, because 
the concept can not be adequately defined in the instructions 
to those who rate, and it requires specialized training to ob- 
serve motor rhythm in a penetrating way. While singing is 
a fairly definite concept, the grade on this achievement, more 


20 IOWA STUDIES IN CHILD WELFARE 


than any other, impresses us with the difficulty of assigning 
general quatitative values. If a child is marked C in sing- 
ing, what do we know about quality of voice, range of voice, 
register of voice, volume, training, inducements to sing, and 
many other factors which influence the teacher’s estimate of 
achievement? 


TABLE III. SUPERIOR (S.) 91-97% 


=| 
8 ie 
Sys oe s 3 
Ete @ Seas ueecane Eiideid oat 
© seat es Pye a0 ad ‘ 
ppm tte) a 8 Nae eee eee 
apy dh 1 Oe Sc eed ee 
BO SASH, $44.65 2-73.98 84:05 7 uA GUO AD eA bee: 
Gi) As 215) 81,61 «87 199° 67. Bs ARC Ae 20 avousee ee 
B57 A.H.. 14 7878 60, (84 81...B 302.8 Aa aNo record 
191 SAT 12 2 286 461.65 200. 64 4B Be A eee 
08 CASH. 46) 07-067. 245' 99" 95° pRB Be Bo Aaa oa 
30 (ASH. 45> 95 [97 .*60''94 53. 9 DC Ds 0 sare 
56 A.H. 18 82 91 93 66 56 C A A A _ 23 Trombone 
6 ASG 1420-08) 278 TSO BIBS 67 ewCAL BR at ee 
BE GA PH, 92" 1097) (56970 .90-n71 LB eee Ol Ae No oresord 
SR! 71130 t 00 WS VIO eS) 178. (a Voto Vana er ay 
Ua 718 nT 1612000 O21 Ai ee me ae ETO ae 
10°84. 18) 8R6 795 4975992 45 Oe Cer A No record 
Be Ra. kG. 10066 893 VOR NTA eee TBs 
34) 8B.) 14: 363° 45698 68°980 7 Be aaa 
10. eae. . 145407. 2414.65 06609 480 (Orn Bie 
6Oas.> 18)) 163 87, °65" 18/59, CA BOO. RAL OTS ve 
0 Dat 19, 490 667.80 66" 62. BWC. G+. Oo Bee: 
95 Oak 1k 78 RT 75 84 97 6) 0B BO ee 
36 Oat. 2018 i789)~5108 ) 66). 86- BCA ROB a! 
7° Oro. 15 60938" (9850) 8488) O48) eBA Are! 
97) Oro. | 12.0098 93). 60.449 °67 6B. AB Be Bee eee 
43 Cro. 14: .O747938 98 Sl. 90. A No record 
16), 13° 78.91 60 204 0°71 Oo oD) D eae ee 
25 Elm. 12 68 67 93 97 67 CGC GC G B 14 P7¥. 
$4/ ‘Elm 11° 86 517/80 76 91° °G° O° @ > “Ave anrcies 


Danger of quantitative general ratings. We must persist- 
ently warn against the danger of assigning quantitative rating 
to undifferentiated factors. The beginner in the use of tests 
particularly needs to be impressed again and again with the 


A SURVEY OF MUSICAL TALENT 21 


TABLE IV. EXCELLENT (E.) 76-90% 


£ 

+> 

= : p> é op : fs 

gz os dea cerca ne acai BPE 

a ©. 2 8 2 3 Bae rani E g's 

Pe dre ede) Pte eve Coa! Sie Pa toe Pay a 

As eee tot Go. tor 400- 662° 74 .. APBD ALS ULE: 
Diario ia 78. 464 36° 944977" (Bt ha B p. a-15 8 ag 
Tener 93-91 60. 66u 80" CY OLB Awe LOU Es 
Sueno ee tom So. ole 44. 907 59°": OL Ge. GC A No record 

Picea tier 1 Shar Ole 7001008 28,! Col ge G pone Spin a 

TeuerAwtiost tian) S28 Ols 32.76. 69.7 Bric -G ‘AL 46° P. 

fever Age lor To. Sar 60..66> 56° De RC C No record 

gop Aue. *15- 169) 462-874; 945-88. BSB B Ae 10a, 

Loe Ane ae 1tS) oo |. OU Se) Ot Cr Cae BR A. No record 
GaAs Hiya, 68204070" 944 (86) - Be BY) & A O65 BP. 
ByeAwiie) 1160, 86 Ob OS 49. 457 0 Ba Be A A No record 

pamnActics 140 (68 Sm 805. 240° 60." Ce AiR C No record 

Mie Aca ise OL tal, Ole oe he, be a A C No record 

Ate Aptos Vle? ia 608, GO 90 Tis Ce Ale © B No record P. 

een Hoek) live) GOr 1San Ga 66nn 7.1). AL Bit A C No record 

Gee etien tee Gan Gir Gon Laser OAS Con Bb C No record 
(ome Hoe Lees ote Oe 90% 840. ho Cc Ah KD C No record 

Mone to. Le LOO 2a 80> 660 782. Ay. Ov. C Re LiGs ve 

oe Ae a oo Se Goa O9> «Cn Coe D Pages 

RUSE AT tome Oa.) Olue fon, F007 OU Ore bo, A No record 

Tope tie® ba: Too San Go, 9457'80'° Ce OF B Aree L001 bs 

Beer Aas cioe O 7s, 9b 90. 18 745 C-- Boy. C No record 
9 Bd Zee Oseroon DUS Gls 1 lite C AP oe. 

15 Bd tae Tat OULU ole 95. G A No record 

19 Bd 1a 9555169000184". 6a.. . A AL Lae: 


responsibility of using all quantitative records merely as con- 
crete cues which lead to a more penetrating analysis of the 
actual situation. ' 

Same for All Grades. This grouping of cases taken from 
8th grade records is equally applicable to all grades as a scale, 
since all records are in equivalent terms, 7. e., per cent rank 
for each grade. 

Uses of This Grouping. The primary object in the group- 
ing is to facilitate the handling of records. It may be used, 
first, to secure a general designation which may be conveyed 


22 IOWA STUDIES IN CHILD WELFARE 


TABLE V. GOOD (G.) 51-75% 


E 
8 B 3 f= 
ve space sf (S048 pe 
° Liar ee a reacs 5 2 : 
fog & Biers E a8 ff ob ao oe 
Beg tt eA SS. wees ss 
1 AH. 13 63 91 55 13 59 E C EC Norecord 
9 AH. 12 25 78 75.99 36 A. A B.A SP 
23 A,B. 13 98 36 17.76 48 A.B A A 28P 
Bt OAH. 13 .)-41 56), 50.945 71.4. Baba Ope eee 
65 AH. 13 68 73.84 49 8 .O0.¢0 © A 36P 
67 = ANH. -J2-2/55. 86 B45 84a By Cure eee 
71 AH. 13 63 32 70 94 78 B,A.G. A 7 P 
Bi AHH. 13) 88-61-5845 84, blac Ace aA a ee 
BY ADE. 3. 78 22 55.76 260-5) ano ee de P 
BAH 14 (78 19, 55 y Sher Sdee Ce aes ae eee 
8 AH. 15:- 41. 10, 32, 995 88.5 Pa in 
88° ASH. 15. 78 82,4) 76y B45 Go Omy Ce, (Be emonr ae 
35 A.H. 15 82 73 28 58 88 C GC. A No record 
41 AH. 15 41 46 75 90100 BE C C A 40P. 
45 A.H. 16 12 73 84 39 62 G B CO Norecord 
61. A... 13: 38 °32:560, 58. 100j4°Ds Cin Cun) Berl otee: 
60, AH trld 43° 677 G04 bes Ore Che tae Can Ane Ste 
71. AC © 16 947° 417.60 90-2 62, DOr Digs aa a 
79 “APG A628 re RAO Bae Ace Ana An eee 
BSAC, 1% 68 Gl paddy Olas Co Cla Phage 
93 2A AL. oc1500, 00 - 25.4 75840 81,4 Tk One, Ape 
99 AH, 145 65 78 36 94,18,..6,°0.10,. A, 18, P 
103) ASH 14-6 7-88 280 165 Boe BeBe Cea Gy ees 
107° 7A. H.. 34,6 68 32-86 894) 6450 CanD a auene 
409) AS as 1d 83 20 he 90 ek ee 


to those who are entitled to a report. Thus a record is Very 
Superior, Superior, Excellent, Good, Fair, Poor or Undeterm- 
ined. The “Poor” should be regarded as “Undetermined” un- 
til after verification of the record by repeating the test, thus 
giving them every benefit of the doubt. 

Where such a rating is given out in classifications and in- 
dividual reports it should always be accompanied with the 
charge to take the analyzed ratings into account. Thus, our 
twenty-five cases’ of Very Superior are all different as is 
shown by the specific record. They may all be Very Superior, 
although each has its own character. 


A SURVEY OF MUSICAL TALENT Wet yA, 


TABLE VI. FAIR (F.) 26-50% 


op 
eee 4S 
bo cy A py g on & S 
ce ee ee ee 
aux =| 4 aR m2 
EEE 0 Bb aS pric aes ae aera a aaa Mea 
Pees. he eye eee SUe Oho SSa, ies Csi’ A No record 
ras He wkiaee oo Gly 24a Toe Gling Hee A B POE te 
RRA He ee ODT oly 40 OGs Ofe. Es Das Bed OP! 
Meee At. weld OO5: 936. S40 6H TSoo By Lk Co B No record 
cere ee tl aa por 1 Oe ey, Oder SAS Ro: De DT) eB PY OA be 
SU em ous’ sick, ean ae Lae 71s De: Din C No record 
GUS Tee los Are Olay Os 400 25 BR Boek A No record 
Poe ee ti ome 4 654 Olas Cae les DOaE Ae CaO Arie. bh, 
Pi pais wel te Gost aoe 200 Gre Com © Biol: 
RMA et oms Pad 25.4 -O0F. Out Soe, “Lite A No record 
BOMRAL EL. Bala foo oon 24. (Gy 40). Ba Geo A. 20.V. 
eee tt ey eee lio 40 ge BOL by x Gen O Or 455P% 
Siena eti bes On 1G ot. Deytoo., Co Din D C No record 
Pn Site as Ostia, OUI OS sei Sia Cory Avot ‘Ase oon eke 
era ey ee ih? loa Ou ty 4 Ce Cy DD PAT een ees 
Pee Og ope oor 0G 90.278: Bie eC B_ No record P. 
Per AN leg nl 4600 600 1S. 640). Bea CO ... No record P. 
jee eee es lle ae Oe TOs) 66; 598500 Cr Cir B A No record 
pore 2. Ade ole Ofek Or cGLw Ay biG BD A 48 P. 
Re lite GLAS Pie Lae aea Ook oon Ci Ot AY tO: 
Pena tie ibe) op 8, 407 667. 71ie? OOo AncoOsP- 
Dee otra lo oot oon OOe 107 ool AY bn oD Stet poe 
HOMEAa tise ore 0 Ola Os. 66,27. — D> By, B Ane Gabe LOY « 
Gomes Moe leet oo Oe OL olen GC B A No record 
REACT atte OS= toes Ut Le Cas * boa (GeO A No reeord 


The grouping is also convenient in the sorting of cases for 
follow-up work and further examination. The first three 
groups should be selected for special encouragement. All of 
these are good enough for professional or other highly in- 
tensive training in music, vocational or avocational, though 
many may not have studied music at all. They should be en- 
couraged to consult good teachers and, if possible, to take 
further tests of capacity. The Good and Fair should be en- 
couraged in music according to the internal evidence of the 
records. The Poor or Undetermined should be set aside for re- 
examination. 


24 IOWA STUDIES IN CHILD WELFARE 


TABLE VII. POOR (UNDETERMINED) (P.) 1-25% 


m ~~ 

. amas Gaye. Bee 
as US FN OE | R= es Be 

SOR Rem eet tho | gee ce ae a ar 

=! 3 oY) ® r= a ~ 

Ae WORE P-L ihthe \e Foy eR apt pat pe mest tee pe se 

7. Bs Ha ISG eS eeenl So OBB AL sESVve 

1) As Bes ieee Ls to. Oo BuO Ac 6¢E: 

13: A. 44. 925417 28° 94 20. C CD A No record 
I? ASE pec eee pene eee Leo) Oo. De oO. DD DNase? 0) 

21 AH Oe eee ener 18. Si Os Der Nene Ted OTs 

25 “As HOR e 94s.25 64-49 14°' Oo Bao A No record 
27 A.H. 14 Bere ae.) ULI tee ie Ge C No record 
29 A.H. 14 Jao e4 31°36. Dies > A No record 
31. AXES os, 68:24 OAS 13! Daas Yeh So) B No record 
87" Ale iplowearoel 1.14 30: 28.) We Oa Ae Loa 

3D ATES i Gs AO aS oe Ae Ces C No record 
41 TAs ioe eral 01 24 89s sO ea ek A 85 V. and P. 
43 (Av He Ree: OO. Varl) seats hr eae ... No record 
45. ACH. (140 °617 228 20. 24 ae Dee C No record 
53 Ay ols 63 LOO SS eat ees C No record 
56) Ag 46 ae BA Ve Vi bp Sd oat 6d 5 A No record 
ae Da ad & Balto 15) HaO. oO OL Van et Ln nie AY 1107. P; 

O30 AP He OI? ATi 14a 202 66.200 oie C No record 
1OSeAS HS 1S." 20. Sa Oe A ieee ee C No record 

Be CAs je eae Bie ce Oe soe oath ar kaee Coane to No record 

fen ae SE A eee OD onal) EA tees Cees lady Foi 

Ny SP eee = Eis Ki Be a ae es, Ley A No record P. V. 
19 A.H. 14 O16. ob. 24769) Bt eB Or 925. 
BASAL He “4A 27 F232 AD PAS See ay ee ee 

7) SAS s V1 oo) Lr oO MOU OOP! carn eAtare AP C No record 
ROACH Sst posed $0 Parts felted @ tod Bhat 6: AB SP: 


For the study of one year’s record in a city school system, 
the examiners may group these records by themselves, but or- 
dinarily, in examining a school or a small number of schools, 
the present grouping may be used in the same manner that 
we use handwriting scales. 

What musical guidance shall be given for each group we are 
not yet in a position to state. We are, however, one big step 
in advance of practice in the past—we have some specific facts 
before us as a basis of advice. 


A SURVEY OF MUSICAL TALENT 25 


KEY TO THE RECORDS 


Pitch Key 

fA GES AAO TD Deg Oe cok Carine s Cee Mere J 

SUM eee GL (enc cnet To. 2 °° °5 

i ie re bare ete eo La aks 28g. Aeon Ta) YP 
2. ieee toa es he oe ae ae Da 
3. Ls dame lena Eee Pare EB TG Ty tic Ts 
4. i Le ae Pelee mae bee ste A) Ae 
5. Li oe ae Lee eae rg 1a EL Vids 
6. Ione are kan eee Ls ve Ey) He 22 
T Ue by oa) ea ee de ae SS 
8. 1S) TB bye AS ped EA a Wed es es Be 
9; BUSEY ok wy Oe a ed oes es Dn Wye 0 
10. AMEE A Re aah es te 1s toned braked Blas Puma sj 


KEYS, DISTRIBUTIONS, AND NORMS 


Reference to the Manual. For the benefit of the casual 
reader the following samples of treatment are introduced from 
the Manual and Text-book. The illustrations are for the sense 
of pitch; the treatment of the other measures is analogous. 

The phonograph records of pitch were made with tuning 
forks very accurately standardized. The instructions given 
by the examiner are: 

“You will hear two tones which differ in pitch. You are to 
judge whether the second is higher or lower than the first. If 
the second is higher, record H; if lower, record L.” (Manual 
De L). 

The pitch disk contains one hundred trials, equally dis- 
tributed over ten intervals from one-half vibration up to 
thirty vibrations in a geometric ratio of the second order. 
These one hundred trials may be repeated as often as the time 
permits in order to secure a good average. After the record 
has been completed it is corrected by the following key which 
shows the actual order in which the trials were made, the 
numbers at the top being the difference between the two tones 
in terms of vibrations. One vibration is equivalent to one 
fifty-fourth of a tone. The number of mistakes is then 
counted and the per cent of right answers is computed. 


26° IOWA STUDIES IN CHILD WELFARE 


- 


aE 
LY 
aA] 
Ht 
Be 
ue 

Hi 


- 
AT 
y 
fas 
as 
a 


ae 
aD 
ce 
at 
Ee 
val 
FBP 
TEE 


baa 


a 
o 


ae 
ol 


\ AS ESE 


8 8 & $ & & 


~ 
os & 


e 


; 
Mn 


ce) 
100 


8 
$ 
& 
$ 


70 65 60 $5 50 
Fig. 1. NORMS FOR THE CONVERSION OF PER CENT RIGHT INTO RANK 
The middle norm represents eighth grade children; the one above, fifth 
grade children; the one below, adults. 


This per cent of right answers is then converted into per- 
centile rank by reference to Table VIII in which the conversion 
figures are given for adults, eighth grade, and fifth grade. 
This table is represented graphically in Fig. 1, in which any 
per cent right for adults, eighth grade, and fifth grade may 
be converted into percentile rank by running vertically from 
the given per cent right indicated on the base line up to the 


ogive in question, then turning horizontally to the left where 
the scale shows the per cent right. 


A SURVEY OF MUSICAL TALENT 27 


TABLE VII. Rank for Pitch 


OTe ey Str Pe ee SS ee 
% Right Adult 8th Gr. 5th Gr. %Right Adult 8th Gr. 5th Gr. 
100-94 100 100 100 74 23 41 69 
93 99 100 100 73 21 38 66 
92 99 100 100 72 19 35 63 
91 98 99 100 71 17 33 61 
90 96 98 100 70 15 31 59 
89 94 97 100 69 13 29 56 
88 91 95 99 68 12 27 53 
87 87 93 99 67 11 25 51 
86 81 90 98 66 LOU Tee 49 
85 76 86 97 65 9 22 47 
84 70 82 95 64 8 20 44 
83 63 78 93 63 7 19 42 
82 56 73 91 62 6 17 40 
81 50 68 89 61 5 16 37 
80 45 63 87 60 5 14 35 
79 40 59 84 59 4 13 32 
78 36 55 81 58 4 12 29 
77 32 51 78 57 3 10 26 
76 29 47 75 56 3 9 23 
73 26 44 72 55 3 7 21 


In order to show distributions for various purposes it is 
convenient to present them, as in Fig. 2. The scale at the 





Fig, 2. DISTRIBUTION OF CAPACITIES IN THE SENSE OF PITCH 
Solid line, adults; dashes, eighth grade children; dots, fifth grade children. 
The numbers at the bottom denote per cent right; the numbers 
at the left the percentage of cases for each level. 


base runs from 50% right to 100% right. The cases are 
grouped symmetrically about the numbers given; e. g., 85% 
right means from 82.5 to 87.4 inclusive. The scale at the left 
gives the per cent of cases that occur for each per cent right. 


28 IOWA STUDIES IN CHILD WELFARE 


WHAT TO LOOK FOR IN THE 
MUSICAL TALENT RECORDS 


It would take volumes to discuss adequately the material 
that the educator may draw from a survey of this kind in a 
city school. There is a mass of material for statistical treat- 
ment and for interpretation from the point of view of Psy- 
chology, Education, and Music. Much of this is discussed in 
the “Physchology of Musical Talent.” I can here merely draw 
attention to the presence of this rich source of material and 
urge investigation by this method. 

Discovery of Talent. The primary object of a talent survey 
is to locate talent. The investigator will be astonishingly 
gratified at the large number of items which constitute 
marked evidence of talent that has remained quite unrecog- 
nized and undeveloped. It is not claimed that these records 
reveal talent as a whole, but they do reveal specific talents 
which can easily be interpreted in terms of capacity for musi- 
cal achievement. It is to the interest of the communnity, the 
school, and the home that this talent should be discovered 
early enough that it may be directed into opportunities for 
full development. | 

Even the identifying of known talent by the objective veri- 
fying and analysis of the talent is in a sense also discovery. 
The objective encouragement for intensive achievement which 
comes of such a rigid inventory becomes a profound stimulus 
to sustained effort. Many persons of superior talent are not 
taking their music seriously because they are not aware of 
their exceptional powers. To be told that you are proved to be 
in the best three per cent, for example, is not only encourag- 
ment but becomes also a challenge. It is from the higher 
groups that we must get our great musicians, and in a survey 
of this kind we have for the first time an objective and stand- 
ardized method for the sorting of talents. 

Explanation of Talent. ‘Musical’ is a very loose term. 
These measures clearly characterize various kinds of talent; 
that is, they often show where the fortes as well as the faults 
lie. It is quite as important to know what kinds of talent the 
pupil possesses as to know their average magnitude. The 
teacher who may have worried about the rhythm of the pupil 


A SURVEY OF MUSICAL TALENT 29 


exclaims, ‘“There it is!’’ when she sees the very low rank in 
the sense of time of this pupil who sings well in true pitch, 
for which he has a high rank. “It is uncanny!” says another 
teacher when she sees how quickly and clearly the measures 
identify weak and strong points. 

Let the thoughtful music teacher peruse a page of these 
records of her pupils and she will have not only explanations, 
but many challenges to meet the situations therein revealed. 
These challenges pertain on the one hand, to those cases in 
which a high talent may be the medium for a certain kind of 
musical achievement and, on the other hand, to those in which 
an impediment is of such a nature that it can not be removed 
but must be avoided. This recognition of difference in kinds 
of talent is the crying need of musical education today. One 
advantage of the objective record is that it will gradually 
bring the facts to the attention of the community whether the 
teacher is awake to their significance or not. Objective facts 
assert themselves. . 

Certifying Absence of Talent. One of the most cruel prac- 
tices in musical education is the blind procedure of forcing the 
untalented to perform as if they were talented. The objective 
identification of specific impediments and the exact verifica- 
tion of these therefore becomes an important factor in the 
conversion of energies of the child. This is true both for the 
ascertaining of flat or general limitations and for the isola- 
tion of partial or specific limitations. Educators and parents 
are facing the time when they must stand in horror in the 
realization of what cruelties are imposed by unreasonable 
demands upon those who suffer from impediments. It is not 
a question of depriving anyone sparingly gifted of music but 
rather that of directing the existing powers into feasible chan- 
nels of development. 

The Magnitude of Individual Differences. A study of the 
range of distribution in the magnitude of capacities for each 
talent, as shown by the graphs in the Manual of Instructions, 
brings the situation into the concrete, showing that we are 
dealing here not with differences of double, triple, or quad- 
ruple merely, but with differences of a ten-fold, fifty-fold, and 
one hundred-fold magnitude in actual quantitative measure- 


30 IOWA STUDIES IN CHILD WELFARE 


ment. When the teacher inspects the report and finds that in 
actual quantitative terms one pupil has ten, fifty or one hun- 
dred times the capacity of another in the same class, she is 
faced with a concrete problem which has never been brought 
to her attention so forcibly before. Her traditional effort to 
treat the two alike or to be satisfied with approximately equal 
returns from different pupils has been tolerated merely be- 
cause, until we secured these quantitative measures, no one 
had realized that such enormous differences in musical gifts 
existed. There rests a moral obligation upon the school ad- 
ministration to use the means at hand for the discovery of 
the gravity of the actual situation. 

Verification of Findings. The first impression of one who 
is not acquainted with evidence of this kind is to think that 
those who are low or irregular can be brought up. But with 
material in hand standardized rigidly in content and pro- 
cedure, we are able to repeat the test as often as desired to 
show that, after one fair test has been given, the test may be 
repeated agiain and again only to be verified within the normal 
limits of fluctuation in observations of this kind. To make 
this all the more impressive pedagogically, those teachers who 
claim that they can create talent in the absence of talent 
should be forced to run a series of training exercises over 
months by their best method and then check up by actual 
measurement to find out the degree of their success, if any. 

Hill and Valley. Superintendents are often anxious to find 
in these measures a means of rating efficiency of training, 
social advantages, and race differences. The general feeling 
prevails that the record of the children on the hill should, of 
course, be better than the record of talent of children in the 
valley where the poor and neglected live. Barring differences 
due to favorable or unfavorable conditions in the making of 
the test, we find that in both cases we are dealing with human 
nature which is quite evenly distributed regardless of social, 
economic, or educational status. The measures, therefore, 
have a peculiar mission in bringing to the attention of the 
authorities the presence of neglected talent in the valley, 7. e., 
poorer districts, and the danger of allowing this talent to go 
to waste by neglect. 


A SURVEY OF MUSICAL TALENT 31 


Bright and Dull. Except for the factor of musical intelli- 
gence as a talent in itself, musical talents are relatively inde- 
pendent of the general brightness or dullness of the child. 
This is shown in a striking manner in the comparison of 
teachers’ ratings on brightness with the grouping of the chil- 
dren on the basis of their measured talents. Here again in 
the problems of education, conservation, and social service, we 
must face some stern facts that should be taken into account. 

Trained and Untrained. Parents and teachers will find food 
for thought in a study of the distribution of the privileges of 
musical education as indicated by private lessons in compari- 
son with the measured talents. It is not enough to say that 
there is only a small indication to show that musical education 
goes to the musically talented. The teacher must be forced to 
collect the facts herself, verify them herself, keep them on 
her table, and ponder over them before she washes her hands 
of the responsibility of communicating the facts to parents 
and patrons, or the responsibility of taking them into account 
in organization of the music program. Those who have at 
heart community singing, social service, and the conservation 
of artistic energy will find in these figures indications of op- 
portunities of profitable expenditure of effort. 

Those Who Sing and Those Who Don't. ; The rating on 
singing’ gets an entirely new significance when interpreted in 
its relation to the measured capacities in talents. Very often 
children sing indifferently, badly, or do not sing at all without 
any excuse except that of maladjustment to the school, or some 
other fancied grievance. Others do not sing because they are 
not fitted to appreciate or perform the kind of music which is 
required of them. Still others make a bold effort, somewhat 
futile, in the face of limitations. The analyzed ratings should 
lead the teacher to a serious study of the extent to which the 
training in singing is developing the actually existing fac- 
ulties. 

Likes and Dislikes. A study of the children’s own rating 
of themselves in regard to “enjoyment” of music in the light 
of observed performance and attitudes in music, in the light 
of the rank in the measures, and in the light of personal fol- 
low-up work with individual cases, soon exposes the danger of 


32 IOWA STUDIES IN CHILD WELFARE 


attaching much significance to such “opinion” in deciding upon 
character and extent of training, or judging what music means 
to the child. If it were not equally true of adults we should 
be prone to say that such judgments are notoriously irrespons- 
ible even under the best intentions.. 

Young and Old. The fact that musical talent is quite inde- 
pendent of age stands out clearly in the report. Gold is gold, 
and lead is lead, young or old. How fortunate it is to be able 
to discover the gold early, while there is still time to put it into 
the most profitable circulation! 

Inheritance. We have experiments now in progress to show 
that musical talents are inherited, not as “musical ability” as 
a whole, but in the form of specific talents, such as those here 
measured, and that each specific talent or trait in music may 
be as independent of other musical traits as color of hair is 
independent of stature. To the educator who is interested in 
heredity the data in hand contain most interesting informa- 
tion about the relation of the children to their respective 
musical or unmusical families. 

Awakening of Music Teachers. The administration will 
observe a striking reaction on the part of intelligent teachers 
to data of this kind. It stirs them to take a new point of view, 
to “question nature,” toj observe for themselves, to take an 
entirely new attitude toward this problem. They will first 
be baffled, but that is wholesome. To awaken an experimental 
or inquiring attitude toward the situation in music is a great 
step in advance. 


SOME SUGGESTIONS ABOUT PROCEDURE 


For the benefit of those who plan to introduce these meas- 
ures, some suggestions on the basis of our experience may be 
in place. 

Number of Trials. A fairly complete analysis of musical 
talent in an individual should contain two or three scores of 
items. It is our experience that, for a first preliminary drag- 
net to identify talent for hearing music, six tests seem de- 
sirable. These six include the present five “measures” and a 
measure of musical imagery, which requires no apparatus. 


A SURVEY OF MUSICAL TALENT 33 


Directions for the measuring of imagery are contained in the 
Text-book (Chapter X). What supplementary data should be 
included, bearing on case history, musical heredity, musical 
associations, musical activities, etc., would depend upon local 
and personal interests of the time. 

When and Where. The testing should always be part of the 
regular instruction in music and should be done during music 
periods. The test should not only be used for securing a 
record, but it should be referred to in successive periods in 
teaching the nature and significance of musical factors such 
as pitch, time, intensity, consonance, memory, and imagery. 

If the tests are administered regularly in the fifth and the 
eighth grades all children will be surveyed twice, each time a 
period of adjustment in which this inventory should be of 
great value. 

By Whom. There should be in each school system at least 
one, usually a supervisor, who is competent to direct the use 
of these tests. Rather than expect every teacher to do her 
own testing it would be well to trust a few to do this either as 
supervisors or by exchanging rooms in the same building. 
Frequent conferences will be needed for the discussion of find- 
ings and the organization of instruction and follow-up work. 
The conducting of the tests is a very simple matter, but their 
interpretation should be left to the few who can give some 
time to the study of the matter. 

The Report. The data should be treated in the same man- 
ner that we treat records of achievement in other tests, such 
as arithmetic tests, spelling tests, or history tests; they should 
inform teacher, parent, and pupil of the existing situation, 
but they should:not be made public. 

Labor-Saving. Various devices may be used for labor-sav- 
ing in the checking of records.* As routine work it should 
preferably be done right in the class-room by the pupil him- 
 * When large numbers of records are to be checked by the teacher, it 
will be found very convenient to take all of the records which have been 
made on the standard blank, make them into a pile and place on top of the 
pile a paper key made on the same blank. Then take a small nail and drive 
it through the whole pile of blanks in each of the blocks that have one of 
the two records, for instance, H in the H and L records for pitch. In this 


way all records are checked at the same time and all that is necesary is to 
count the mistakes. 


IOWA STUDIES IN CHILD WELFARE 


Sense of pitch - - 


Sense of intensity - - - 


Sense of time 


Sense of extemsity - - - 
Sense of rhythm - - - 
Sense of timbre - - - - 
Sense of consonance - - 


Sense of volume - - - - 


Control of pitch - 


Control of intensity - - 
Control of time - - - - 
Control of rhythm - - - 
Control of timbre - - - 
Control of volume - - - 
Auditory imagery - - - 
Motor imagery - - - - 
Creative imagination - - 
Auditory memory - - - 
Learning power. ~ \- °- - 
Musical association - - - 
Musical reflection’ - - - 
General intelligence - - - 
Musical taste - - - - 
Emotional appreciation - 


Emotional expression - - 


ee ee ee ee ee ee ee 


o 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 



















Observations, comments, and recommendations may be written on the 
back of this chart. 


Fig. 3. MUSICAL TALENT CHART* 


* In this case the record filled in is that of the first case in Table I. 


A SURVEY OF MUSICAL TALENT 35 


self. The teacher will, of course, give each pupil his rank 
from the table in the Manual of Instructions on the basis of 
% right computed by the pupil with such help and scrutiny 
as may be necessary from the teacher. A blank chart on a 
ecard might well be mimeographed, or printed and supplied, 
so that the chart could be made out in duplicate, one for the 
teacher and one for the pupil. Fig. 3 shows a chart of this 
kind illustrating one record. 

The Talent Chart. In order to visualize the records and 
present them in clear relief in relation to other talents it is 
recommended that the report of the children be given in the 
form of the talent chart herewith presented* 

Such a chart is very quickly made and it has several advan- 
tages over the mere numerical record. It impresses the fact 
that the talents measured are only a few out of all that must 
be taken into account. It brings before all concerned a com- 
prehensive analysis of talent in such a way as to stimulate 
interest and activity in the effort of securing information in 
every available way on the points left blank. It holds before 
the pupil and the teacher bases for systematic observation and 
definite goals for achievement. A neat chart like this, of 
personal interest, is likely to be preserved and, therefore, to 
be brought to attention from time to time. It helps to broad- 
en the pupil’s conception of what is involved in music. 

Follow-up Work. Unless followed up in school and at home 
the record is of small avail. The main consideration here is 
a live teacher. In case of doubt the test should be verified out 
of school hours. The teachers should use the various devices 
practiced by good music teachers in testing ranks with refer- 
ence to actual capacity in performing. Talented children who 
have been neglected should be provided for at public school 
expense or through volunteer service of individuals or organ- 





* When the charts are required in large quantities for the school system 
a zine etching may be made from this page for use in printing. Where it 
is not thought desirable to do this, or where only a small quantity are 
needed, they may be obtained at cost from the Librarian of the University 
of Iowa. The record blank, page 5 of the Manual of Instructions and Inter- 
pretations, printed on both sides, may be obtained in the same manner. 


36 IOWA STUDIES IN CHILD WELFARE 


izations. Particular pains should be taken to corral all talent- 
ed children into the approved musical organization of the 
school. 

Community and Home Tests. These tests should be con- 
ducted frequently at community centers. Home circles should 
be encouraged to conduct “scientific musical entertainments.” 
One evening should be devoted to each test. A hostess might 
perform a gracious service, not only by entertaining neighbors 
and friends, because the taking of the tests is a most interest- 
ing contest, but also by discovering and thereby encouraging 
talent. The records are no more expensive than ordinary 
phonograph records, but a single set might well be allowed 
to circulate from family to family. Children may well be 
allowed to play with them and test one another as often as 
they like so long as they pay due respect to the key to the 
right answers. 

Training Value. A strong case might well be made for the 
use of these measures for the sake of their training value. 
Few tests so completely engross the interest of the child as 
these do, and they furnish fresh illustrative material in the 
use of which the child acquires habits of accuracy and alert- 
ness in observation. 

Ultimately the Attitude of a Physician. To the question as 
to what tests we can use in diagnosing delinquency in children 
sent to our psychological clinic the writer had to reply. ‘‘We 
use no set tests; we take the attitude of the physician and use 
the best means at our command for diagnosing the situation.” 
Such will be the attitude of the music teacher and the musical 
examiner of the future. All “sets” of tests are at best frag- 
mentary. But a standardized series of tests, like this, consti- 
tutes the simplest and most effective means of approach for 
general use. In whatever way these may be supplemented in 
the future, the principles here involved will remain basic. 





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